AlumniTestimonials

The Field Station is addictive. From my first week there
participating in Coe’s Freshman Orientation in the Wilderness, to
returning as a guide for the Freshman Orientation program, to returning
yet again to take Environmental Law, I’ve never been able to resist a
week or more in this gem of Coe’s off-campus opportunities. It’s
impossible to take everything in that you can in this little northern
outpost of Coe campus. Whether it is a loon call while you’re lying in
your sleeping bag, an hour listening to Harlow talk about the local
tree species, a dip in the swimming hole, or a late-afternoon paddle on
a lake with waters so still you think you’re gliding across a dream,
the Field Station should be a necessary part of any student’s
curriculum. It is not only a few weeks spent “roughing it,” it is a
lesson on an alternative way to live, one that doesn’t depend on text
messages, bottled water, and microwaveable dinners. In a materialistic
society such as ours, we need to take time to step back. It may be
uncomfortable (especially when you’re low on bug spray), and for some
this can be overwhelming. Whether a person wants to return or not,
doesn’t matter. What’s important is making this inquiry in the first
place. A liberal arts education is all about asking questions,
exploring different view points. The Field Station is a view point unto
itself, and every student should take it upon themselves to explore it
to the best of their ability. It’s unforgettable. Johanna Schnell,
Political Science Major, Class ‘09

"What a delight to discover that the station is not dead as I
had feared! Thank you for taking it on as a Coe College Station when
ACM decided to drop it. I'm an alum of its first two years of
existence, back when it was on Basswood Lake and "Coach" Drexler was
director. It was the seminal educational experience of my life. It
permanently changed my course from medicine to field biology and it
forever colored my concepts of the best pedagogy.

What did I learn at that station?
From the land: Humility
From Coach: How to key a plant.
From my fellow students: Introduction to existentialism!

I also had the privilege of meeting Sig Olson, Grace Lee Nute, and F.
B. Hubachek--paddling with Coach, learning to sketch with Jo Drexler,
and identifying fungi with Isabel Ahlgren.

If ever there's anything I can do for the station, let me know. I work
as a conservation biologist, but teach natural history to non majors at
Metropolitan State University and environmental humanities to Graduate
Liberal Studies students on the side.

It is so good to know that generations of students still have the
privilege of living and studying at the station."Nancy Sather (it must be 1962 and 1963!)

"I learned how to pack, paddle, and portage,
not to mention stay smiling through three days of rain."

"The canoe trips gave us a sense of the place
we are in. Without them we might as well be at our home universities.
It was the best part of the course as far as education and group
development."

"There is a certain learning experience
unspoken when lugging an 80 lb. canoe on your head."

"The trip was a great way to become completely
engulfed in the true aspects of the course. The trip was one of the
most rewarding experiences of my life."

"Because of this program, I've learned to
appreciate nature to a higher degree. I've realized the importance of
maintaining the remaining wilderness areas. Civilization is nice, but
our mocha lattes and Volkswagen Beetles can't really compare to the
awe-inspiring yet simplistic virtues of nature."

"I really gained a sense of how removed from
natural environments we are in our society. As with every experience in
nature, I appreciate it more and see it as an important thing to
preserve."